During 1996, Groves produced a large painting of the ACW Battlefield in the Little Round Top, Devil's Den, and Plum Run Gorge area of eastern Gettysburg. The reconstruction is second to none in its incredible detail as regards the landscape of July 2nd, 1863. Every tree and stump and bush of that day was carefully placed in very fine detail upon the canvas; then the actual combatants were then positioned therein. Many soldiers were painted where they fell. Actual shell-hits were depicted as happened. The result was well-beyond the accuracy of anything ever painted before or since. Sparked by "Battlescape", the early 2000's saw the park remove many trees along the base of Round Top and LRT so as to return the landscape to its 1863 appearance; and in the process destroying that area's ecosystem. [Click on Groves' "Battlescape", left side of this page]

There is a famous photograph taken by three Washington, DC photographers in the Devil's Den area of the Gettysburg Battlefield. The photograph was produced on or about July 5th, 1863, just after the battle. It shows a Confederate sharpshooter lying dead on his back between two large granite boulders and a stone wall. It turns out the DC photographers took 6 known shots of this same dead soldier. Two were recorded at the wall and boulders, while four show the same body taken 80 yards down the hill. This famous photo has long been known as showing an actual sharpshooter. However, sometime after 1975 the GNMP Park staff decided this famous photo made at the wall and boulders (at the time arguably the most famous photo of the entire war) was staged by the photographers using the body of a "regular confederate infantryman" found down the hill. In researching the material for his "Battlescape" Mr. Groves noticed the parks 'discovery' . Perusing the 6 photos it occurred to the artist the Park had made a grievous error. Finding clue after clue in the 6 photos led Groves to write then publish his research in a February 1998 report titled "The Devil's Den Sharpshooter Re-Discovered" Groves' intensive analysis led to a "North and South Civil War Magazine"story (Volume 1; no 7, 1998). You can access Groves' online treatise just below this bio.

The great painter Peter Paul Rubens used a binder/medium containing pine resin. This is proven by paint chip-analysis in so many of his works. However many experts of today claim this finding is due to Rubens' use of an inferior spirits of gum turpentine to apply his paint. Groves cojured Rubens' spirits of turpentine using Rubens' exact formula as told to T. Mayerne in person during the painting of Mayerne's own portrait. The resulting and exceedingly pure gum spirits were devoid of pine resin, proving the master's medium must have truly incorporated pine in its actual formulation.

Groves has also published many limited edition offset lithographs since 1987. Thousands of his unique, detailed and colorful art prints have sold worldwide.

The painter maintains a studio-gallery, Western Maryland Gallery, near Frostburg, Md. At least 60 of his works are on view at most times. Please call 301-689-3389 for an appointment to view the gallery.

Mr. Groves' acclaimed 28,000 word report defending the actuality of the famous Devil's Den Sharpshooter of the historic Gettysburg Battlefield can be accessed here

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